Most people thought they would not agree on anything. At the last minute, the world’s most powerful heads of state reached a compromise.
US President Joe Biden overlooks Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bid Salman and India’s President Narendra Modi. Now the discussion is underway whether the G20 meeting was a failure for the West, the USA and Ukraine. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein, Pool / Reuters / NTB
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Published: 09/09/2023 22:18
– The negotiations have been very tough and very merciless.
This is how India’s representative summarized what happened at the chamber in New Delhi.
The discussions between the leaders of the G20 countries went on for over 200 hours. They control 75 percent of the world’s trade. The disagreement about the war in Ukraine was great. Therefore, many believed that it was impossible to agree on anything.
Early on Saturday morning, 20 days after the talks started, India came up with a compromise. Russia interprets it as a victory. Ukraine is deeply disappointed.
On Saturday night, the world’s most powerful leaders went to a party to eat vegetarian food, accompanied by an Indian orchestra of 70 musicians.
But what have they actually agreed on?
The party in India got off to a very bad start
The charge to the meeting was poor to say the least. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed he had no time. He is wanted in an international arrest warrant. Chinese President Xi Jinping just dropped out. Without giving any reason.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the leaders of the G20 countries in New Delhi on Saturday. A few hours earlier, the Indians put forward a compromise proposal, which led to the world leaders being able to sign a joint document. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein, Pool / AP/ NTB
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The last time the world’s most powerful met, in November 2022 in Bali, they agreed on a surprisingly tough statement about Russia’s invasion:
– Most of the members strongly condemn the war in Ukraine, read the Bali declaration. The West interpreted it as an important step.
– It shows that Putin stands alone against almost the entire world in his politics, said German Chancellor Olaf Sholz that time. If so, the latest G20 meeting is a big step in the wrong direction.
This was agreed upon by the world’s most powerful
In todays G20 Declaration Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not mentioned directly. China categorically refused, according to several media. The Chinese did not want a repeat of last year’s condemnation of Russia.
The strong criticism from 2022 was instead replaced with the following wording: – There were different views and assessments of the situation. – We emphasized the human suffering and the negative consequences of the war in Ukraine, reads the new declaration. Russia has repeatedly threatened nuclear war to scare the West from providing military aid to Ukraine. In the declaration, threats of nuclear weapons are described as unacceptable.
“Russia” is only mentioned three times in the document. This happens in a statement in which the G20 countries encourage support for the grain and fertilizer agreement of Erdogan and the UN. That it was Putin who stopped it is not mentioned.
Was this a victory for Russia?
On the Russian side, the careful wording is portrayed as a victory. Russian “journalists” used the India meeting to take selfies with them the Russian flag.
BBC interprets the text as if the West and the US are about to lose the discussion with the “global south” about what the Ukraine war is about.
– A setback for Western countries, which for the past year have tried to get the rest of the world to condemn Moscow and support Ukraine, believes Financial Times.
– This is not the place to solve geopolitical issues. We need cooperation instead of confrontation, said China’s prime minister Li Qiang.
The disappointment was great in Ukraine on Saturday. The spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry released a “corrected” version of the statement to the 20 heads of state.
Screenshot from the website of the spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Oleg Nikolenko Photo: Facebook
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– When it comes to Russia’s aggression, the G20 group has nothing to be proud of, it said sharply Ukrainian the reaction.
But others still interpret the G20 meeting as bad news for Putin.
Putin himself could not attend India. He is wanted internationally for war crimes. Instead, he met Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is here greeting India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Reuters/ NTB
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Does Putin really have reason to be happy?
The G20 countries, with both China and India, emphasize that the Ukraine war must be resolved in accordance with the UN Charter. A large majority in the UN has directed strong criticism at Russia in a number of declarations.
The world’s most powerful leaders also agreed on the following:
– All states must refrain from threats or the use of force to secure territories at the expense of the integrity, sovereignty and political independence of another state.
This G20 statement was given great weight by US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
– This statement does a very good job of standing up for the principle that states cannot use force to take territory, Sullivan argued.
The President of the United Arab Emirates Sheik Zayed Al Nahyan with France’s Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the G20 talks in New Delhi on Saturday. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein, Pool / AP / NTB
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– This is not a good day for the Kremlin. There will be consequences, Sweden’s former Prime Minister Carl Bildt signed X.
– Russia was forced to swallow this text because China and everyone else accepted it.
What else did the world leaders agree on?
In the shadow of the Ukraine war, the G20 leaders agreed on several other issues, which have historical dimensions:
Africa. The G20 meeting also led to the whole of Africa now gaining access to the club. The African Union is now admitted as a member.
Climate. – Climate collapse has begun, said the UN Secretary-General after the record hot summer. The G20 meeting agreed that the Earth’s renewable energy must be multiplied.
New trade corridor: A new trade route, by train and ship, will connect India, the Middle East and Europe. It could increase trade between India and the EU by 40 percent, according to the EU.
For the Earth’s most populous country, the meeting was historic.
India can now get a new name. When the country’s head of state invited the world leaders to a party on Saturday night, he presented the country as “Bharat”. It one of India’s two official names, and derives from ancient Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit.
President Joe Biden used the G20 meeting to hold several talks with India’s Narendra Modi. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein, Pool / Reuters / NTB
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On the menu was jackfruit galette served with glazed forest mushrooms. Galette is a pancake-like French dish. As well as Barnyard millet with cardamom and the Indian tea Kashmir Kahwa. While the heads of state ate, an Indian orchestra of 70 musicians played.
A triumph for Indian diplomacy, summed up India’s greatest media.
2023-09-09 20:18:15
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